Food slicing apparatus, blade and method
First Claim
1. An apparatus for slicing food sticks, comprising:
- a slicing assembly for severing large sticks of food products into slices and stacking said slices into stacks of slices;
means for feeding a food stick to the slicing assembly;
an orifice for receiving and generally laterally supporting a leading portion of said food stick during slicing, said orifice having an opening through which said food sticks pass;
said slicing assembly has a blade member, said blade member engages said food stick and severs said food stick into said slices, said blade member having a generally concave, non-severing body portion and a severing edge portion, said severing edge portion having a flat portion radially projecting beyond said non-severing body portion and defining an outermost perimeter severing edge of said edge portion;
said orifice being located upstream of said blade member;
said outermost perimeter severing edge having a severing profile which follows an Archimedean spiral pattern having a plurality of adjacent radii which increase at a constant rate;
said flat portion of the severing edge portion of the blade member is a top flat surface which engages said food stick and is generally parallel to the cut surface of the food stick being sliced, said top flat surface having an average width adequate to impart a holding force to generally longitudinally support said food stick which it engages when said blade member severs the food stick into slices, said average width of the top flat surface being not less than about 0.1 inch;
said edge portion further having a bottom primary bevel land width surface which has an average width of between about 0.030 inch and about 0.120 inch, said bottom primary bevel surface and said flat top surface together define a primary angle, said primary angle being between about 28° and
about 45°
; and
said orifice and said top flat surface combine to engage and support the food stick during slicing, said orifice laterally supporting the leading portion of the food stick and said top flat surface simultaneously supporting, in a direction generally perpendicular to the lateral support by the orifice, the surface of the food stick being cut.
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Accused Products
Abstract
Apparatus, device and method for improved slicing of large food sticks, loaves and the like are provided. A slicing blade which has a top flat surface or top flat land width along its cutting edge provides generally longitudinal forces on the food product being sliced, which forces are in a direction generally opposite to the direction through which the food products are fed through a slicing apparatus. The slicing blade includes a bottom primary bevel land width surface and an advantageous primary angle for imparting improved stack and slice uniformity and for controlling package overfill. The slicing blade also exhibits a long slicing blade surface which follows an Archimedean spiral. The invention is particularly important in improving handling of large luncheon meat sticks, especially non-frozen, high water content and reduced fat content luncheon meat sticks. Fast feed rates can be practiced without experiencing jamming, yields are increased, slice and stack quality and sizing are made more consistent and repeatable, slicing line utilization is enhanced, and sanitary conditions are more easily maintained.
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Citations
19 Claims
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1. An apparatus for slicing food sticks, comprising:
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a slicing assembly for severing large sticks of food products into slices and stacking said slices into stacks of slices; means for feeding a food stick to the slicing assembly; an orifice for receiving and generally laterally supporting a leading portion of said food stick during slicing, said orifice having an opening through which said food sticks pass; said slicing assembly has a blade member, said blade member engages said food stick and severs said food stick into said slices, said blade member having a generally concave, non-severing body portion and a severing edge portion, said severing edge portion having a flat portion radially projecting beyond said non-severing body portion and defining an outermost perimeter severing edge of said edge portion; said orifice being located upstream of said blade member; said outermost perimeter severing edge having a severing profile which follows an Archimedean spiral pattern having a plurality of adjacent radii which increase at a constant rate; said flat portion of the severing edge portion of the blade member is a top flat surface which engages said food stick and is generally parallel to the cut surface of the food stick being sliced, said top flat surface having an average width adequate to impart a holding force to generally longitudinally support said food stick which it engages when said blade member severs the food stick into slices, said average width of the top flat surface being not less than about 0.1 inch; said edge portion further having a bottom primary bevel land width surface which has an average width of between about 0.030 inch and about 0.120 inch, said bottom primary bevel surface and said flat top surface together define a primary angle, said primary angle being between about 28° and
about 45°
; andsaid orifice and said top flat surface combine to engage and support the food stick during slicing, said orifice laterally supporting the leading portion of the food stick and said top flat surface simultaneously supporting, in a direction generally perpendicular to the lateral support by the orifice, the surface of the food stick being cut. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
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7. A slicing blade for slicing food sticks, comprising:
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a generally concave non-severing body portion for mounting the slicing blade onto a slicing apparatus; a severing edge portion extending in a generally peripheral manner from said body portion; said severing edge portion has a top flat surface radially projecting beyond said generally concave non-severing body portion and defining an outermost perimeter edge of said severing edge portion; said severing edge portion having a severing profile which follows an Archimedean spiral pattern having a plurality of adjacent radii which increase at a constant rate; said top flat surface engages a food stick sliced by the blade so as to be generally parallel to the cut surface formed while the food stick is being sliced, said top flat surface having an average width adequate to impart a holding force to generally longitudinally support the food stick which it engages when the blade member severs the food stick into slices, said average width of the top flat surface being equal to or greater than about 0.1 inch; said edge portion has a bottom primary bevel land width surface which has a width along its entire length that is between about 0.030 inch and about 0.120 inch, said width of the bottom primary bevel surface being not greater than said width of the top flat surface; and said bottom primary bevel surface, together with said top flat surface, defines a primary angle, said primary angle being between about 29° and
about 35°
. - View Dependent Claims (8, 9, 10, 11)
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Specification